Sunday, October 14, 2007

Rhinebeck knitting

Little minds (mine) are hopelessly entertained by the concept of Rhinebeck knitting. No, not the FO type. I'm speaking of the WIP species needed for the weekend's festivities. The well-known criteria include mindless pattern, easy project, just-make-the-stitches while communing with Our People. Many, maybe even most, choose socks.

The pattern is easy. I planned on my tried and true stockinette stitch sock. But isn't there a subtext here of cool yarn? Indie dyers? Hard-to-find-sold-out-instantly yarn? Those casually knitting with Wollmeise this weekend probably win this knitters' unspoken challenge.

That Etherknitter. She nailed it. I've been thinking about my Rhinebeck project for several days, and it will be a pair of socks.

Unfortunately, I have a Rhinebeck sweater to finish first. Update: The sleeves are done. The body is seamed, and I started weaving in ends tonight. I need to seam the sleeves, and graft the collar, crochet the edging, and buy buttons. I've got lots of other stuff I need to finish this week, too. Including but not limited to homework, real work, and a few nights of class, etc. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Back to the Rhinebeck knitting (not to be confused with the Rhinebeck sweater) ...

I figure that I'll bring socks, for the reasons outlined above. However, I have none on the needles! That opens up a world of possibilities. 14 possibilities for yarn, according to the contents of my sock yarn stash drawer, and countless pattern choices. The curious among you can see many that I've queued in Ravelry..

But, there's a big risk in bringing a new project. What if I don't like the yarn? The pattern? Like both, but the pattern doesn't work with the yarn? What if I need different size needles? OK, I guess that last one is not a huge concern if I'm going to be at a wool festival with dozens of vendors selling needles.

I could bust out with the Wollmeise -- because the competitive side of me thinks "hey, I could rise to the 'knitters' unspoken challenge'" -- but it hasn't yet told me what it wants to be. A stockinette sock would be best, but it should be variegated. Is Koigu cool enough, or is it sooooo 2004? I have some Socks That Rock, but are knitters over the STR craze? Claudia's Handpainted in a Jaywalker? (Yeah, passe, isn't it???)

Help!! I'm drowning in possibilities, and I don't have time to swatch before leaving. I'm strongly considering packing a duffle bag with all 14 different sock yarns, needles in sizes zero to 2, a few sock books, and my laptop. Shouldn't that cover me for any eventuality? Please, one of you saner knitters convince me that this is just a wee bit obsessive ...

12 Comments:

I am laughing about Koigu being so 2004!! That's when I knitted my first and last socks with it. Love the socks but have never returned to Koigu only because there are so many other yarn possibilities out there.

HA! Koigu is *not* soooo 2004! It's a perennial classic, the gold standard of sock yarn! I know it's temping to bust out the wollmeise, I keep wanting to bust out my single skein but am paralyzed with indecision on a pattern. I am actually thinking of making fingerless mitts out of mine so that I can actually see them when I am wearing them. Good luck with whatever you decide to bring!

lol. oh yes, just a little obsessive. I'm going with some Duet Skinny in my purse in a simple stockinette but then with the twins and the double stroller, I seriously doubt if it will see the light of day.

You need to get a little bit started on a sock to see if it'll work... If there was time, I'd send you a skein of sock yarn I dyed - that might be sufficiently weird and unique. ;) But the Wollmeise - go with that! So beautiful!

Don't look at me. I realized while reading your post that I don't have socks on needles either, at least not mindless ones, and I do have a ball of Trekking 126 headed my way. (Or is Trekking utterly outré as well, discontinued or not? I shouldn't even try to do cool.)

Take a breath...and relax. My advice is to go to the drawer, pick the yarn/colorway that speaks to you most, and start knitting a pattern that you don't have to think about. Then, immerse yourself in the Rhinebeck experience and have a great time! (I am so jealous. I've been to Maryland, Michigan, and Wisconsin, but Rhinebeck conflicts with another event I attend every year. Argh.)

It's easy. Bring three skeins of sock yarn. Pick 'em from a bag in which you have placed little pieces of paper with the names. Then bring 0s, 1s, 2s. Maybe a 3 to cast on. Something will speak to you. If what you pick out blindly doesn't do it for you, then something has already spoken to you!

Me? I just want to see what your Wollmeise looks like. But it doesn't have to be in sock formation.